OCEAN CABLES AND DEEP-SEA TRAWLERS 



tion, and especially in order to cause the punishment, either 

 by fine or imprisonment, or both, of such persons as may 

 violate the provisions of Articles II., V. and VI. 



ARTICLE XIII. 



The High Contracting Parties shall communicate to 

 each other such laws as may already have been or as may 

 hereafter be enacted in their respective countries, relative 

 to the subject of this Convention. 



ARTICLE XIV. 



States that have not taken part in this Convention shall 

 be allowed to adhere thereto, on their requesting to do so. 

 Notice of such adhesion shall be given diplomatically, to the 

 Government of the French Republic and by the latter to the 

 other signatory Governments. 



ARTICLE XV. 



It is understood that the stipulations of this Conven- 

 tion shall in no wise affect the liberty of action of bellig- 

 erents. 



ARTICLE XVI. 



This Convention shall take effect on such day as shall 

 be agreed upon by the High Contracting Parties. 



It shall remain in force for five years from that day, 

 and, in case none of the High Contracting Parties shall have 

 given notice twelve months previously to the expiration of 

 the said period of five years, of its intention to cause its ef- 

 fects to cease, which shall continue in force for one year, and 

 so on from year to year. 



In case of one of the Signatory Powers shall give notice 

 of its desire for the cessation of the effects of this Conven- 

 tion, such notice shall be effective as regards that Power 

 only. 



ARTICLE XVII. 



This Convention shall be ratified; its ratifications shall 

 be exchanged at Paris as speedily as possible, and in one 

 year at the latest. 



In testimony whereof, the respective Plenipotentiaries 

 have signed it, and have thereunto affixed their seals. 



Done in twenty-six copies, at Paris, this 14th day of 

 March, 1884. 



[Signatures of the representatives follow.] 



Measures taken to minimize damage to ocean cables have not 

 proven effective. None have reduced the damage appreciably. The 

 1884 International Convention, and later action by participating 

 countries making it a misdemeanor to willfully damage or break a 

 submarine cable, has had no visible effect. An attempt around 1920 

 to persuade trawler fishermen to use otter boards of an improved 

 design, recommended as better able to avoid fouling, met with no en- 

 thusiasm. The standing offer by cable companies to reimburse fish- 

 ermen for gear abandoned to save cables has probably been most 

 impressive as a gesture of mutual cooperation. 



Some of the measures listed below may serve to alleviate the 

 situation : 



(a) Chart cable positions on the best scale navigation 

 charts. This is now being done and these charts may 

 be obtained free of charge by writing to any of the fol- 

 lowing: 



Cable Damage Committee 

 Mercury House, Theobald's Road 

 London W.C. 1, England 



The Western Union Telegraph Company 

 International Communications 

 General Plant Engineer 



T 1 1 1 T 



^ .^#. 



S '--'' f"' iS' -t' s4 S' 









Grand Banks of Newfoundland showing the cable areas and a typical concentration of fishing vessels. 



67 



